Queensland

Queensland bodies-in-box accused 'heard screams get louder'

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One of the seven accused over the Logan bodies-in-the-box murders allegedly confessed to hearing screams as he threw the victims into a dam, a court has heard.

Tuhirangi-Thomas Tahiata, 25, was denied bail when he appeared in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday charged with the murders of Cory Breton, 28, and Iuliana Triscaru, 31.

A crane lifts the metal box from a dam at Logan.
A crane lifts the metal box from a dam at Logan. Photo: Nine News Brisbane/Twitter

It is alleged he confessed to killing the pair, whom he barely knew and had no grievance with.

The victims were last seen alive on January 24 this year and their bodies were found in a locked metal box in Kingston dam 18 days later.

The bodies of Cory Breton and Iuliana Triscaru were retrieved from the submerged box.
The bodies of Cory Breton and Iuliana Triscaru were retrieved from the submerged box. Photo: QPS

Both were allegedly lured to a unit before being beaten, tied up and locked inside the metal toolbox before Mr Tahiata arrived, the court heard.

Mr Tahiata has allegedly admitted hearing kicking and screaming as he loaded the box with them inside into his truck and drove it to the dam.

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The court heard he fired a warning shot into the air with his homemade gun before his co-accused Trent Michael Thrupp punched holes into the box with a claw hammer to help it sink.

The screams got louder as they pushed the box into the water and Mr Thrupp yelled "time to die", Mr Tahiata allegedly told officers.

They then went back to the dam days later and used rocks to sink the box after they found it floating on the surface, prosecutors allege.

Mr Tahiata was refused bail by Justice Peter Flanagan after the court heard evidence of his alleged confession to police.

The defence said Mr Tahiata had no previous convictions and his family had offered a $50,000 surety.

Tepuna Tupuna Mariri, Webbstar Latu, Stou Daniels, Davy Malu Junior Taiao and Ngatokoona Mareiti are also charged with murder.

AAP

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